Duel1971

72/100 Everyone has their beginnings, and not all of them are perfect. But of course a director as visionary as Steven Spielberg would open up with a very good movie like Duel. I will admit I was skeptical about this movie, particularly about the main plot, which seemed more fit for a 40-minute-runtime or even a short film. However, I was surprised at how well this movie handles it for a majority of the runtime. There is of course dialogue here, but it's sparce and honestly unneeded, as Spielberg's visuals tell the story well enough on their own. I will give credit where it's due, however, and say that Dennis Weaver does very well as David Mann, the travelling salesman menaced by the truck. The truck itself is the trump card on which this movie places all its bets. There is a driver inside, but as he is never revealed and never even speaks, it is as if the truck itself is the one chasing Mann through the desert, making the driver's rage almost animal, like a force of nature. However, even with this inhuman framing, the film manages to give the driver some personality, with the way he taunts Mann by silently following him, not taking any opportunity that seems too easy, taking the same path as Mann even when he doesn't have to: I got the impression of a child frying ants with a magnifying glass. Duel is a movie I find hard to recommend without explaining the whole deal beforehand, but I will say it makes for a great psychological thriller which amps up the tension as it goes on, and a good movie overall.